


I'd Love To

by Punrise



Series: Tumblr Prompts [2]
Category: IT (2017), IT - Stephen King
Genre: Fluff, Friends to Lovers, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-08-19
Updated: 2018-08-19
Packaged: 2019-06-29 16:17:02
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,265
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15732984
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Punrise/pseuds/Punrise
Summary: “What if I told you I've been in love with you since I was eleven?”With the help of Bev, Eddie finally asks out his crush, and best friend of five years, Richie Tozier.





	I'd Love To

**Author's Note:**

> Prompt: "what if I told you I've been in love with you since I was eleven?"

“Are you going to tell him today?” Bev asks as Eddie pulls his locker open. He doesn’t respond as he switches out his textbooks and she lets out an impatient groan. “Oh come on, Eddie, he totally likes you. He was flirting with you at lunch today!”

“It’s Richie. He flirts with everyone,” Eddie says with a shrug, taking his science textbook out and slipping it into his bag. “I just don’t want to ruin anything. What if I ask him and he gets weirded out and then it becomes really awkward whenever we’re around each other? Then it’s awkward for everyone else and —”

“Eddie you’re overthinking it,” Bev sighs. “If he says no, which he won’t, then yeah it’ll suck but it shouldn’t make a difference with your friendship. Bill and I are still great friends even though I’m dating Ben.”

“Yeah but…” He turns to Bev who raises her eyebrows at him. He trails off, realising that he has no solid arguments and then lets out a groan. “Okay, okay, I’ll think about asking him today but don’t get your hopes up,” then, changing the subject. “I’m going straight down to the quarry, probably going to get a head start on the science homework before everyone else turns up. You coming?”

“Nah,” she shakes her head. “I mean, I’ll be down there later but I’ve got to head home first and finish my chores. Didn’t get them finished this morning.”

“That’s fair enough,” he says as closes his locker and starts towards the school entrance. They pause at the bottom of the stone steps, giving each other a hug before they part ways. “See you later, alligator.”

“In a while, crocodile.” She calls over her shoulder with a quick wave. Eddie smiles and then heads off down to the quarry.

He sits there for over an hour alone, balancing his notebook on his knee with his textbook in his lap. It’s nice and quiet and not too hot or too cold. He prefers doing his work out here over than doing it shut inside his bedroom and it’s been the location of many Loser study sessions over the years. He can’t understand why they’re some of the only people to use it (although he’s not complaining) but you’d think that, as one of the only nice places in Derry, it’d be more frequented.

He’s almost finished with the homework when he hears footsteps but he doesn’t look up, expecting it to be Bev.

“What you working on, Eddie Spaghetti?” A voice that is definitely not Bev’s says. He looks up to see Richie and he goes to answer but all that comes out is a strange squeaking noise. “Happy to see me?” Richie laughs, throwing his head back. “Man, your face was a picture just then.”

“I just wasn’t expecting you down so early,” Eddie says after managing to get his feelings under control. “I thought you were Bev, that’s all. You’re usually the last one down here.”

“Haven’t you seen the group chat?” Richie frowns and Eddie shakes his head. “The others have cancelled.”

Eddie pulls his backpack towards him, pulling his phone out of the front pocket. Sure enough, as he scrolls through the group chat, the others had cancelled and his heart starts to race a bit because he knows exactly why. Beverly Marsh is an extremely cunning person. There’s no doubt in his mind that his wasn’t her doing and he can’t exactly be angry with her because this is the perfect time to do what he’s been meaning to do for years now. The only problem is working up the courage.

“So what do you want to do?” Richie asks, sitting down and stretching his legs out, leaning back on his hands. “I don’t mind waiting for you to finish whatever you’re working on, though. It’s nice down here. I can actually hear my thoughts.”

“It’s not due until next week,” Eddie shrugs, closing the textbook and notebook, putting them into his backpack. He pauses to quickly text Bev a few middle finger emojis and then looks towards Richie. “Uh, we could go swimming,” he says, rubbing the back of his neck awkwardly. “That was the original plan.”

So they do. Eddie jumps in first, but Richie follows not long after. They splash each other, chase each other around and at one point, whilst Eddie’s distracted, Richie dives underwater and grabs Eddie’s foot. Eddie screams at that, kicking at whatever was under the water and attempting to swim away. When Richie resurfaces a couple of seconds later, laughing, Eddie groans and splashes the other boy. It was a funny prank, he thinks, but he’ll never admit that. Not to Richie anyway.

They’re in the water for just under an hour when they get tired. Eddie wraps himself in a towel he’d stuffed in his backpack this morning and sits beside Richie as he stares thoughtfully at the rippling surface of the water. Eddie notices the redness of his shoulders and the back of his neck and lets out a quiet sigh, nudging Richie with his elbow.

“You didn’t put on sunscreen,” He raises his eyebrows. Richie doesn’t take his gaze off of the water but does give a quick shake of his head. “Richie you know that’s dangerous! You could get skin cancer!”

“Chill Eds,” Richie brushes off Eddie’s concerns almost instantly. He does look away this time, making eye contact with Eddie. “You are kind of cute when you get worked up about things like that, though. Shows you care.”

“Well, I— of course I care, Richie,” Eddie stammers, caught off guard by Richie’s statement. “You’re one of my best friends.”

“Do you ever think about being more than just best friends?” Richie asks so quietly that Eddie barely hears him. He looks shocked when he realises what he’s said, but Eddie cuts in before he can take the statement back.

“Yes,” he admits. “I, uh, do quite a lot actually.”

“Really?”

“What if I told you I’ve been in love with you since I was eleven?” Eddie murmurs, shifting closer to Richie. He feels a weight lift off his chest, one that he didn’t even realise was there, and it feels good.

“Wait, seriously?” Richie asks. “This isn’t just a wind up or something? Payback for me grabbing your foot?”

“No,” Eddie grips Richie’s hands in his own. “I’m being 110% serious. You can ask Bev. I’ve…” he trails off, taking a deep breath before he continues. “I’ve been in love with you for years. I thought, when we were kids, that it would just go away and, uh, you know what my mom’s like regarding this stuff, but it’s only been getting stronger. I’ve been planning to tell you for weeks now, but I’ve been too scared to.”

“I love you too, Eds,” Richie says. “I’ve loved you since we were eleven too. I just didn’t think I had any chance with you.”

“Well you do,” Eddie leans forward, giving him a quick kiss. Then, straight to the point. “Richard Tozier, will you be my boyfriend?”

“I’d love to, Edward Kaspbrak.”

They stay at the quarry until the sun goes down. Eddie gets in trouble when he finally steps through the front door but it’s worth it. It’s worth it because now he gets to kiss Richie and hold his hand and hug him to his heart’s content. It’s worth it because he’s with the boy he’s been dreaming about for years. It’s worth it because he loves Richie Tozier with all of his heart.

**Author's Note:**

> [tumblr](http://pun-rise.tumblr.com)


End file.
